Young Canadian Olympians poised to lead the way at Milan-Cortina in 2026
Exciting crop of talent could reach new heights in Italy
The Beijing Games showcased an exciting young crop of Canadian Olympic talent who will be looked upon to lead the way at the next Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
From figure skating phenoms to rising women's hockey stars, here is a look at some young Canadians Olympians poised to reach new heights in 2026.
Leading the way in figure skating will be breakout star Madeline Schizas, who just turned 19 on Valentine's Day while competing in Beijing. After kicking the year off by winning her first national title, the Olympic debutante nearly put Canada on the podium in the team event despite the absence of men's national champion Keegan Messing.
The Oakville, Ont., native shone against stiff competition wirth back-to-back, personal-best performances in the short program and free skate — finishing third in both. Her short program single-handedly propelled Canada into the medal round by vaulting the team from sixth to fourth place.
Schizas also qualified for the free skate final in women's singles before ultimately falling short, finishing 19th, but she has undoubtedly solidified herself as a phenomenal skater who can deliver under pressure.
"I'm so proud of how I've managed myself here," Schizas said. "There are lots of distractions at an Olympic Games, and I'm going to take what I've learned here for the rest of my season and the rest of my career."
She will look to capture her first world championship medal next month in Montpellier, France.
WATCH | Schizas delivers career-best performance to help Canada qualify:
While the Olympic women's hockey team had 13 returning players from their silver-medal run in 2018, it was 10 important newcomers who helped lift Canada atop the podium this time around. Leading the pack was 21-year-old juggernaut Sarah Fillier.
The Georgetown, Ont., native entered her first Games with major expectations, and she exceeded them by scoring eight goals in seven games to help lead Canada to glory.
She made an immediate impact with two goals and an assist in her Olympic debut against Switzerland, and veteran teammate Brianne Jenner was the only player to score more goals in the tournament.
Fillier was also instrumental in Canada's gold-medal run at the world championship last August, and she led the NCAA in scoring as a freshman for Princeton. Nearly a decade younger than 'Captain Clutch' Marie Philip-Poulin, Fillier is on the path to becoming the next Canadian hockey great.
"I'm very happy with my tournament, my line's tournament, my whole team's tournament. Everybody came up ready to play and we had contributions from everyone in the lineup and that's what set us apart," Fillier said.
Fillier's Canadian teammate, and former Princeton teammate, Claire Thompson also had a tremendous Olympic debut. The defender led the tournament in plus-minus (+23), and finished fifth in points with 11 assists and two goals to help Canada reclaim its spot on the Olympic throne.
WATCH | Fillier a 'generational talent,' says college coach:
After being named an Olympic reserve four years ago, short track speed skater Steven Dubois delivered an amazing Olympic debut in Beijing that saw him win a medal of every colour.
He will be expected to help lead the short track team into the future following Hamelin's final Olympic appearance in Beijing, and Samuel Girard's retirement in 2019.
WATCH | Dubois flies under the radar to win bronze, silver in Beijing:
The Canadian freeski team experienced major success in Beijing, but the best may be yet to come. Continuing the legacy of late Canadian legend Sarah Burke, Canada has a talented young group of women who will be serious medal threats in Italy.
While halfpipe veteran Cassie Sharpe raised the bar with her gold medal in Pyeongchang and silver in Beijing, her teammate Rachael Karker will aim to reach the same heights in Italy after winning halfpipe bronze in her impressive Olympic debut.
"I'm definitely excited to keep going and to build on this and hopefully to get to another Games," Karker said.
The 24-year-old from Erin, Ont., already had an impressive résumé before she set foot in Beijing. She won silver at last year's world championship, has three X Games medals, and has reached the podium in eight consecutive World Cup starts.
WATCH | Karker shows off her new Olympic bronze medal:
In women's slopestyle and big air, Canada will be powered an outstanding young trio for years to come.
Parry Sound, Ont., native Megan Oldham, 20, finished just one spot away from the big air podium in Beijing — giving Canada a glimpse of future success in the new Olympic event.
Oldham has won five X Games medals, including three in big air, and she won slopestyle bronze at the world championships last year.
She stormed onto the scene by winning a Crystal Globe as the top-ranked women's slopestyle skier in her first season on the World Cup circuit — besting current superstar Eileen Gu.
WATCH | Oldham narrowly misses Olympic big air podium:
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Asselin qualified for both the big air and slopestyle finals in Beijing after winning big air bronze in her X Games debut last month. The Quebec City native has earned eight top-10 World Cup finishes since joining the national team in 2019.
Elena Gaskell, 20, will undertake a comeback journey to reach Italy after tearing her ACL and meniscus ahead of the big air event in Beijing, where she was a medal threat.
The rising star from Vernon, B.C., already has a big air Crystal Globe, and she finished third overall this season in World Cup big air standings as the top Canadian.
"Hopefully after this injury I'll be able to come back and be stronger than I ever was before," Gaskell said.
WATCH | Gaskell discusses getting injured before being able to compete:
Snowboarder Brooke D'Hondt qualified for the halfpipe final as the youngest Canadian Olympian in Beijing at 16 years old — a stunning accomplishment by itself.
The Calgarian made her X Games debut at just 14, and along with Elizabeth Hosking she will give Canada a serious shot at the women's halfpipe podium in Italy.
Hosking, 20, was the youngest member of Canada's Olympic team in her debut four years ago, and the Longueuil, Que., native has now made it to two straight Olympic finals with many years still to come.
WATCH | Hosking, D'Hondt qualify for Olympic halfpipe final:
Canada also has a bright future in snowboard cross with Eliot Grondin and Meryeta O'Dine at the helm. They both won medals in their respective individual events before winning bronze together in the mixed team event — another new Olympic event Canada is positioned to excel in.
Grondin made his Olympic debut in 2018 at 16 years old, and his consistent progression over the ensuing years culminated with a silver medal in Beijing — finishing just 0.02 seconds away from gold.
He will be just 24 when he goes for gold at the next Games, something his mind is already focused on.
"When I say something, I usually want to achieve it, and when I was 12, I said that I wanted to win the Olympics. I got silver, so for sure I'm going to keep pushing and trying to get that gold at the next one," Grondin said.
O'Dine, 24, won bronze in Beijing in a moment that had added meaning. A concussion kept her out of the previous Games in Pyeongchang, and she overcame adversity after losing her brother, Brandon, to cancer in 2020.
WATCH | Grondin, O'Dine combine to win Olympic bronze in mixed snowboard cross:
Aerials skiers Marion Thénault and Miha Fontaine soared high at their first Games, helping Canada win bronze alongside veteran Lewis Irving in the inaugural Olympic mixed team event in Beijing.
Fontaine, 18, is following big footsteps as the son of three-time Olympic aerials skier Nicolas Fontaine. He already has six top-10 World Cup finishes since last year, and finished 13th in the men's event in Beijing.
Thénault, 21, went on to finish seventh in the individual women's final, and the Sherbrooke, Que., native has three World Cup podium finishes since her debut in 2020.
Canada hasn't won an individual Olympic aerials medal since Veronica Brenner and Deidra Dionne reached the podium in 2002, but Thénault and Fontaine will have a chance to end the drought in Italy.
WATCH | Fontaine feels like he won 'a medal for Canada':
